Mouthpiece for wind instruments.



PATENTED AUG. 30, 1904.

T. HENNESSEY. MOUTHPIECE FOR WIND INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 23. 1904.

NO MODEL.

Patented August 30, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

TOBIAS HENNESSEY, OF LEOMINSTER, MASSACHUSETITS.

MOUTHPIECE FOR WIND INSTRUMENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 768,603, dated August 30, 1904:.

Application filed February 23, 1904. Serial No. 194,676. No modelfi To all 1072,0771 it may concern.-

Be it known that I, TOBIAS HENNEssEY, of Leominster, in the county of lVorcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mouthpieces for \Vind Instruments; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and can act description of the same.

This invention relates to music, and particularly to a class thereunder known as mouthpieces.

The invention has for its object the provision of novel means for changing the tone of a cornet or trumpet or that class of instruments designated as brass instruments whereby the tone is softened and in some instances permitting the players to imitate the tone of the French horn, so much desired by all alto players. Furthermore, an object of this invention is to produce a mouthpiece which facilitates the beginner in obtaining a playe1"s lip, preventing the tiring of the muscles, as the tension of the muscles required is reduced where a mouthpiece of this character is employed.

The invention further obviates ice-blisters in the coldest weather. even though the said mouthpiece is not purposely kept warm by the user.

Furthermore, by the production of this invention the mouthpiece is retained firmly in place and is not liable to disengage and drop from the wind-tube. 7

Furthermore,an object of this invention is to produce a mouthpiece in which the discharging end of the said mouthpiece has a flared opening-that is, the hole in the discharging end is greater in diameter than the hole in the receiving endthis arrangement being provided for the purpose of increasing the force as the wind passes into the instrument, thus producing vibrations which are more even and more easily controlled.

Furthermore, an object of this invention is to provide reinforcing-bands encircling the outer surface of the mouthpiece, which prevents checking of the material and contrac tion and expansion as well.

Finally, an object of this invention is to pro- 'vide a mouthpiece for brass instruments, the

said mouthpiece being composed and formed of material nonmetallic in character, the said material being preferably a very hard wood, perfect in grain, or it may be found desirable to use a wood composition formed and shaped by a pressure, so as to condense the material and produce a hard compact material uniform throughout.

lVith the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists in the details of construction and in the arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter more fully set forth and specifically claimed.

In describing the invention in detail reference will be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, wherein like characters denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, in which Figure l is an end view of a mouthpiece embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a view in elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal sectional view thereof.

In the drawings, A indicates the mouthpiece having a stem B integral therewith. The mouthpiece and its top is formed of nonmetallic material, which may be very hardwood or a composition molded and pressed to the desired configuration. Internally the stem has an opening 0, which flares from the junction of the stem and mouthpiece to the end of the same. the advantages of which have been heretofore set forth. The outer surface of the stem is shaped to fit the wind-tube of a horn, it being my purpose to have mouthpiece and stem varying in dimensions for use in connection with cornets or with the heavier bass brass instruments. As the non-metallic stem contacts with the metallic windtube, the rather harsh metallic sound usual when two vibrating metallic surfaces are in contact is overcome, and the tone produced by reason of the non-metallic material engaging the metallic material is very much softer than that produced by the old style.

In order to prevent cracking of the material of which the mouthpiece and its stem are formed. I produce a series of annular recesses I) in the outer surface of the stem and mouth piece, and I embed therein metallic bindingbands E, which maybe of silver, gold, or a composition suitably finished and ornamented. Care must be taken in the manufacture of the stem and mouthpiece to insure the disengagement of the binding-band and the Wind-tube, and this can be accomplished by sufiiciently embedding the said binding-bands or so positioning them that they will not contact with the metallic parts of the instrument to which the mouthpiece and stem are applied.

By the use of this invention as stated, what is commonly known as a players lip and what is technically known as an "enibouch u re is more easily acquired and more readily maintained than where metallic mouthpieces are used.

Having fully described the invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In combination with a Wind-tube of a metallic instrument, a non-metallic mouthpiece secured thereto and binding-bands on TO BIAS HENNESSEY.

I/Vitnesses:

O. A. TAFT, E. V. ROBERTS. 

